New York, New York, USA - Genealogy

New York, New York, USA

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AWFUL CONFLAGRATION !!   Our city has just been the theatre and the victim of the most disastrous visitation ever known to this Continent !! The heart of her business, her commerce, and her wealth, is now a blackened mass of smouldering ruins !! New York has received a blow, from the effects of which the utmost exertion of her fearless enterprise, the most liberal and beneficent application of her yet unbounded wealth, will hardly suffice to restore her. The homes of her 'merchant princes' are desolate, the citadels of their strength are in ashes !! The appalling conflagration, which it is our melancholy duty to record, commenced at 9 o'clock on Wednesday evening, at which time the flames burst from the store of Comstock & Andrews, 25 Merchant St. near the Exchange. In twenty minutes, the whole block of wholesale stores, in the very center of the mercantile business of the city, was in a blaze, and the destroying element was rapidly extending its ravages in every direction. It would be vain to attempt giving the distant reader, an idea of the spectacle presented. The weather had been unusually severe for several days, but on the night in question the cold had increased to an intensity which had seldom been exceeded. The thermometer stood below zero, with a breeze from the N. NW. amounting nearly to a gale, an the fire had obtained a tremendous advantage in the most compactly and loftily built portion of the city, filled with silks, cloths, liquors, and other combustables, and intersected only by narrow streets which could interpose no barrier to the progress of the flames. The rally of the Fire Department was not made with its accustomed alacrity, owing to the unparalleled severity of the weather, and to the fact that there had been so many alarms within the week, and so large an amount of harrassing service required of the firemen. The effort to check the ravages of the confagration in the quarter to which the wind was vehemently urging it proved utterly unavailing. The water so plenteously thrown upoon it by hydrants and engines was blown black in the faces and fell congealed at the feet of the firemen, or seemed only to aid to the fury of the elements. William Street was passed. Pearl Street overleaped - next Water Street - then Front Street - and the very shipping in the docks of the East River was endangered, and only saved by strenuous exertions, and its removal into the stream. No barrier but that of nature could be interposed on the east; and it was with great difficulty that the fire could be prevented from extending its ravages across Wall Street. The Tontine building (Hudson's News Room) was indeed once on fire, but happily extinguished. The extraordinary strength of the Wall Street buildings - many of them resisting firmly the assaults of the destroyer, and none of the walls crumbling and falling into the street, as is too generally the case - did more for the safety of those north of the street than any thing within the power of human effort. For hours, it was doubtful that the flames could be arrested here, and if not, there was little hope that they could b before reaching Maiden Lane. Onward - still onward, swept the bosom of destruction !! The hydrants were exhausted, the engines had long been frozen up, with their hose like cannon. Westward, the South Dutch Church, which had been made the hasty depository of stores of precious goods, was in flames, which threatened to extend to Broad Street throughout. On the South, a desperate struggle was made at Hanover Square, but it was unsuccessful. How could such an avalanche of fire be checked, when water could not be thrown upon it, and seemed of no avail when it was ? A last resort was had to gunpowder - but none, in sufficient quantities was to be procured in the city - not being allowed as an article of merchandise. An application to the Fort on Governer's Island was unsuccessful; but a supply was ultimately procured after daylight from the Navy Yard, Brooklyn, with a corps of marines, &c. and the demolition of a few buildings contributed materially to the subjugation of the flames, which was finally effected at Coenties slip, about noon of this day (Thursday) after an awful and uninterrupted devastation of fifteen hours. It will be readily understood that the destruction is not even yet complete. As we write, twenty-five hours after the first alarm of the fire, a dark cloud of smoke rises over the vast scene of ruin, revealed at the distance of a mile and with a considerable elevation intervening, by the lurid flames which still flicker and glow at its base. They may not be extinct for weeks, but the limits of their desolation are, we trust, distinctly defined. And yet the possibility of a gale from the south or even the southwest cannot at this moment be contemplated without a shudder. Had the wind which prevailed on the night of the calamity reached us from a southerly or even easterly direction, we believe half the city must have sunk beneath the overwhelming devastation. We shall not attempt to give a statement of the individual losses, a bare catalogue of the sufferers would fill a column. Seventeen of the most valuable blocks of buildings in New York are totally destroyed and three others nearly so. The Merchant's Exchange is destroyed, including the Post Office. Six hundred and seventy buildings have been burnt, principally occupied as importing and wholesale stores, many of them by such firms as Arthur Tappan & Co., Bailey, Keeler & Remsen, &c. &c. with a stock of goods even at this season of $300,000 each. The South side of Wall Street is half destroyed; William, Pearl, Water, Front and South Sts., from Wall St. to Coenties Slip, are in ruins; Exchange Place, Hanover Street, Merchant Street and Hanover Square entirely destroyed. Stone St. from Pearl to Broad St. nearly so. Some of the buildings on Broad St. were slightly injured, but throughout the night this noble avenue was universally regarded as the only efficient barrier against the entire destruction of the First Ward. Of the six large morning papers, only two escaped the general wreck - the Mercantile and the Courier & Enquirer. The Daily Advertiser, Journal of Commerce, and Gazette, were burnt out of both printing and publication offices, the Times, of printing office only. The American among the evening papers, is entirely destroyed. All Mr. Minor's periodicals - Railroad Journal, Mechanics' Magazine, &c. &c. are included in the wreck. The printers of the Knickerbocker also, which will probably delay the publication of the next number. The other periodicals of the city were mainly exempted from immediate suffering. We cannot pretend to give an estimate of the total loss sustained by this dreadful calamity. $15,000,000 seems the average of current opinions, but we esteem it decidedly too low. The Insurance Companies are generally ruined - some will not pay fifty per cent. There is, however, a considerable amount insured in Boston and other cities. Every measure has been taken to alleviate the pressure of this affictive dispensation. A meeting of the Common Council was immediately held - several apartments in the City Hall appropriated to the use of the merchants and other sufferers -- the city watch doubled - and a volunteer guard of one thousand citizens called out for the protection of the city -- the firemen being completely exhausted, incendiaries and plunderers still plentiful in every street, their appetites sharpened by success - and city insurance being no longer worth any thing. Our citizens must continue to exercise the sternest vigilance. The loss of human life has been great - but we can give no account of it. There is little doubt that the devastation is the work of an incendiary, and it is said that a demon was caught applying a lighted torch to buildings after daylight of Thursday morning !! Seventy thieves were committed yesterday. Huron Reflector Norwalk, Ohio 1835-12-29

DESTRUCTION AND DEATH - A FRESH HORROR FURNISHED IN NEW YORK CITY.   FALL OF THE MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - THE BUILDING FILLED WITH PEOPLE IN AID OF A CHARITY - SEVERAL PERSONS KILLED AND MANY MORE INJURED. New York, April 21. - An accident of a fatal character and which caused intense excitement, occurred at the Madison Square Garden tonight. The Hahnemann Hospital fair, which opened a week ago, was in progress, and there were about 800 people in the building. At half-past nine half the front of the building facing on Madison Avenue gave way, the wall falling outwards. Part of the roof also fell in with a crash. This portion of the building was used as a dancing hall and picture gallery of the fair. It is not at this time known how many persons were killed, but one lady has so far been and one wounded. Two horses in the street were instantly killed, and one so badly injured that it had to be shot. Several hack drivers were injured. Commissioner German, and a large detachment of the fire department and police were promptly on the spot. Bulletin - April 23 - THE KILLED AND THE INJURED. The dead: WILLIAM M. TILESTON, died at St. Luke's Hospital at 4 p.m. His injuries were very painful, consisting of compound fractures of both legs, a fracture of the left arm and lacerated wounds upon the head. MARIA ANN CONNOLLY. Recognized yesterday by her brother. Although the body was mutilated, Connelly recognized the lower portion of his sister's face, the color of her hair, and a portion of her dress. Her face was crushed and her feet were mangled. MRS. ANNA BRADFORD CLARK HEGEMAN, was thirty-three years of age, and a member of an old family in this city. She leaves two children, one four years old and the other five months old. MRS. WILLETS, was struck by a heavy beam and killed instantly. Her body was crushed and mangled beyond recognition. A coroner's report states, "nearly every bone in her body was crushed." MRS. ANNA L. WILLETS was crushed to death by the falling wall. Her body was crushed and terribly mangled. The injured: MISS VIOLA BLODGETT, badly bruised, but it is thought that she has no internal injuries. MISS BELLE CAMROS, was slightly bruised. SPENCER C. COE, was slightly bruised. LEONARD DATER, sustained a fracture of the right leg, and suffered from a number of severe bruises. He was removed from Bellevue Hospital to his home yesterday morning, and he is in a fair way to recover. MISS LILLIAN DAVIS, a young girl about fifteen years of age, was somewhat bruised on the shoulder and arm. E. L. DOWES, twenty-five years old, a clerk, had his left hand crushed and suffered slight contusions. His wounds were dressed at the New York Hospital. His injuries are not serious. JOHN FOWLER, was injured slightly. HOBART HENRY HERRICK, eighteen years old, was bruised slightly. ALFRED HILTON, had his arm slightly injured by the falling plaster. SEYMOUR J. HYDE, eighteen years old, was slightly injured. MICHAEL KELLY, a hack driver, was injured on the hip and arms by being thrown from his seat. F. L. LEHMAN, was badly bruised and two toes of his left foot were crushed. A. MONTGOMERY, twenty years of age, was slightly bruised on the left arm and left side. WILLIAM MORRIS, was slightly bruised. WILLIAM PINKNEY, was very severely bruised, and his right leg was broken. MISS ANNIE SCOVILLE, was badly injured by a falling beam. She was much better, however, yesterday, and no fears were entertained that she would not recover. A. SILDEMANN, one of the musicians, was slightly bruised. MISS JOSEPHINE STREETER, was severely bruised. It is not known as yet whether her injuries are dangerous. W. J. SWAN, one of the managers of the fair, was slightly bruised by the falling plaster. HENRY WALTER WEIS, a lawyer, received a number of severe cuts on the head, the small bone of his left leg was broken, his right leg was much bruised. The cause of the accident was supposed to be the pressure of the floor of the dancing hall and art gallery upon the wall which supported it. Both these rooms were filled with people at an early hour. Suddenly it was noticed that the floor of the art gallery was cracking, and Albert McKay, manager of the fair, was summoned to the place. He mounted the stairs leading to the art gallery and noticed that the room was filled with ladies and gentlemen. Dective Tilly, who had been employed to watch the valuable pictures in the room, informed him that the walls were carcking in some places, and that there was danger of the floor giving way. McKay sent a man to turn off the gas in that part of the building, and alled out to persons near him to leave the gallery as quick as possible. His manner of speaking caused most of the persons in the room to step out on a broad landing, which overlooks the main part of the garden. The dancing hall on the same floor was still full of people and before they could be warned of the approaching danger a succession of loud reports were heard and the front wall suddenly fell out into the street. A large part of the roof which had been supported by the wall, immediately fell in upon the heads of the frightened dancers, burying them out of sight. Screams and groans were heard on every side, and a panic followed. A moment after the accident the floor of the dancing room settled, and there was a general stambede out upon the landing and down the staircase to the main part of the garden. Those who were out of danger when the roof fell rushed forward to the front of the building and seriously impeded those who were trying to escape outside the building. Daily Globe St. Paul, Minnesota 1880-04-22

BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION COLLAPSES.   New York, March 2. - The accident occurred about 3:55 o'clock in the afternoon. Without the slightest sound that might have warned the 50 men that worked near it, the central wall to the four double tenement houses being erected at 151 to 157 Orchard Street, crumbled and fell. With the wall went portions of four floors, leaving a great rent 50 feet long and 30 feet wide in the center of the buildings. It was like a pit, at the bottom of which was a mass of tangled iron and broken wood, covered many men. From that heap, in an hour, had been taken out one man dead and 12 injured. The Dead: JOHN WILSON. The Injured: WILLIAM WILKINSON, back broken. FRANK THORNTON, badly injured. JOHN THORNTON, badly injured. _____ GLORIA, both legs broken. THOMAS WILSON, head injured. GEORGE GAMBLE, both legs broken. JOSEPH BARBARA, left leg broken. FRANK BARBARA, back injured. JOSEPH MESIRE, head injured. PATRICK FLAHERTY, leg injured. PATRICK MALLOY, back injured. WILLIAM MALLOY, arms bruised. Abraham Levy, with three or four other men, got into the building and dragged out three men who were only lightly held down by the bits of wood. The second man carried out was JOHN WILSON. It could be seen that he was badly hurt. He only spoke once, when he said: "Do not tell my brother I am hurt." His brother was lying beside him when he spoke. The second brother turned to look at the one who had spoken, and as he turned JOHN gasped once and was dead. There were 50 men working on the buildings. They were to be seven stories high, of which four stories had already been raised. Most of the men were on the fourth floor of the house No. 155. Between the front and rear of the house was a big party wall, along the side of which ran a narrow light shaft. It was the party wall that crumbled. In a heap the men went down with the falling floor. One of the bricklayers, Michael Luscles, was near a window toward the front of the house. He had just time, as the floor sank beneath him, to clutch at a window sash, and was left clinging to the frail support four stories above the ground. He managed to crawl up so as to sit on the window sill, from which position he was afterward rescued by the firemen. Anthony Klein of Williamsburg fell the four stories, but escaped without even a scratch. He says he was carried down gently and thrown through one of the front doors into the street. The cries of the imprisoned men could be heard on every side when the firemen came. Alarms were sent at once for additional firemen to begin removing timbers. Ten of the 12 men who were rescued early were got out with little trouble. JOSEPH BARBARA, who escaped with only a broken leg, must have escaped death by a narrow margin. He fell behind a wall, and was covered by 10 feet of bricks and plastering. But some of the wooden beams formed an enclosure about him, and the firemen heard his cries for help. It was half an hour before they could get anywhere near him. All the time they dug the man's father, Tony Barbara, worked frantically, crying loudly all the time. The contractors are John Coomes of Astoria and Peter C. Cleaves. The owner is William F. Lennon, all of whom were arrested. Captain Cartwright said he had made a careful examination of the building and said it was a surprise to him that the house had stood as long as it did. The mortar, he said, had been examined by an expert and is pronounced worthless. It was of the weakest sort. It was also said that the bricks were of a poor quality, that the beams were not properly supported and that the iron girders were not on stone in the walls as they should be. At the station, bail for the arrested men was refused. The police tried to find Building Inspector Timothy J. Ormsby to learn from him why he had not reported the flimsy character of the building. They were not able to find him. Evening Bulletin Maysville, Kentucky 1895-03-02

1914 - Carrier Pigeon is Bridal Messenger genealogybank.com  "NEW YORK, Nov. 3 - Ever since a Belgian rabbit escaped from one of the rooms on the fifth floor of the Prince George hotel, A. M. Gutterson, the assistant manager, has been especially on alert to see that no persons take animals to their rooms. Yesterday Mr. Gutterson observed a man carrying a small basket. He had looked at the register and observed that the man was E. Alburn of Milford, N. H." "Mr. Alburn seemd to be very careful about the little basket, which he had refused to give to one of the hallboys. Finally Mr. Gutterson thought that Mr. Alburn was hiding a small dog, and he asked him what he had in the basket." "'I live on a small farm outside Milford.' said Mr. Alburn, smiling, 'and unfortunately I have no telephone. The telegraph station is closed on Sunday. I have just been married and have been called to this city on important business. It was impossible to bring Mrs. Alburn with me and she was anxious to receive word when I arrived in this city, so I brought a couple of carrier pigeons.'" "Soon afterward Mr. Alburn went to the roof and sent off word of his arrival in New York city." Carrier Pigeon is Bridal Messenger Date: November 04, 1914 Location: Minnesota Paper: Duluth News-Tribune

1928 Prohibition genealogybank.com  LOST BELLBOY FOUND Youngster Wind Gold Medal for Refusing to Sell Liquor "NEW YORK. March 25 - Satisfaction of the existence of a non-bootlegging bellboy was the feature of a medal bestowing ceremony at the Hotel Prince George today." "The young dry hero was Russell Woods. He stood at attention while A. M. Gutterson, manager of the hotel, pinned a gold medal on his breast." "Documentary evidence that Woods earned his medal exists in the form of a letter from a thirsty guest who wrote that he admired the boy's principle, though angry with him because he would not get him a pint." Date: March 26, 1928 Location: Oregon Paper: Oregonian

Ancestors Who Were Born in New York, New York, USA

Bourgarde
Joseph John Bourgarde (3 Apr 1895,New York, New York, USA-Sept 1966,Dumont, Bergen, New Jersey, USA)
Burnham
Norman Hammond Burnham (17 Apr 1848,New York, New York, USA-,)
Crouss
Alvina Martha Crouss (26 Sep 1864,New York, New York, USA-14 Apr 1944,Agawam, Hampden, Massachusetts, USA)
Gerry
Eleanor Sandford (Stanford) Gerry (28 Jun 1800,New York, New York, USA-26 Dec 1871,New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, USA)	Eliza Gerry (4 July 1790,New York, New York, USA-1 May 1882,Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA)
Levin
Bernard Levin (15 Nov 1881,New York, New York, USA-7 Jan 1945,New York, New York, USA)
Slattery
Agnes Regina "Jean" Slattery (16 Dec 1933,New York, New York, USA-20 Jan 2003,Syracuse, Onondaga, New York, USA)	James M Slattery (07 Dec 1935,New York, New York, USA-16 Feb 2000,Syracuse, Onondaga, New York, USA)	Margaret A Slattery (25 May 1931,New York, New York, USA-24 Oct 2005,Syracuse, Onondaga, New York, USA)
Sloan
Samuel Sloan (13 Mar 1886,New York, New York, USA-22 Apr 1972,North Branford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA)
Theinert
Beatrice Theinert (12 Dec 1893,New York, New York, USA-31 Oct 1943,Brooklyn, Kings, New York, USA)	Charles Hoyt Theinert (5 Jan 1895,New York, New York, USA-28 Apr 1944,Wrentham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA)	Eleanor May Theinert (15 May 1892,New York, New York, USA-11 Jun 1955,Massapequa, New York)
Thompson
Ann Thompson (12 Aug 1763,New York, New York, USA-17 Mar 1849,New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, USA)
Tiffany
Martin H Tiffany (16 Jun 1904?,New York, New York, USA-1968,Bayport, Suffolk, New York, USA)

Ancestors Who Died in New York, New York, USA

Adams
Charles Adams (29 May 1770,Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA-1 Dec 1800 ,New York, New York, USA)
Alence
Richard Ferdinand Alence (6 Jun 1894,Brooklyn, Kings, New York, USA-20 Feb 1949,New York, New York, USA)
Andersson
Hedvig Ingeborg Andersson (27 Sept 1896,Vellinge, Skåne, Sweden-20 Feb 1936,New York, New York, USA)
Bentley
George Smith Bentley (May 1841,Cato, New York-19 May 1915,New York, New York, USA)
Burnham
Norman Huntington Burnham (12 June 1821,Springport (Union Springs), Cayuga, New York , USA-1 Oct 1841,New York, New York, USA)	Thomas Hammond Burnham (14 Nov 1819,-1853,New York, New York, USA)
Gerry
Elbridge Thomas Gerry (12 Jun 1793,Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA-18 May 1867,New York, New York, USA)	Mabel Stella Gerry (12 Dec 1859,Robbinston, Washington, Maine, USA-21 Oct 1907,New York, New York, USA)
Gutterson
Alburn Morton Gutterson (19 Sep 1877,Milford, Hillsborough, New Hampshire, USA-20 Apr 1946,New York, New York, USA)
Levin
Bernard Levin (15 Nov 1881,New York, New York, USA-7 Jan 1945,New York, New York, USA)
Tallman
Charles D Tallman (27 Feb 1808,Scipio, Cayuga, New York, USA-28 Jun 1893,New York, New York, USA)	Daniel S Tallman (abt. 1817,-17 Jul 1897,New York, New York, USA)	Mary T Tallman (bet. 1810-1815,-5 May 1891,New York, New York, USA)

Cemeteries

Reference Sources

 

 City Directories

 New York City Business Directory 1859. Boston MA: Adams, Sampson & Co., 1859. Ancestry.com

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